title: Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) levels as a possible predictor of psychopathology in healthy twins at high and low risk for affective disorder.
abstract: Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) is a potential biomarker of affective disorder. However, longitudinal studies evaluating a potential predictive role of BDNF on subsequent psychopathology are lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate whether BDNF alone or in interaction with the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism predict onset of affective disorder in healthy individuals at heritable risk for affective disorder. In a high-risk study, we assessed whole blood levels of BDNF in 234 healthy monozygotic and dizygotic twins with or without a co-twin history of affective disorder (high and low risk twins, respectively). Participants were followed up longitudinally with questionnaires at 6-month intervals for mean seven years and then reassessed with a personal interview to obtain information about whether they had developed psychiatric illness. At follow-up 36 participants (15.4%) had developed psychiatric disorder. Cox regression analysis revealed that BDNF levels at baseline were not associated with onset of illness in this explorative study. Further, two-way interactions between BDNF levels and the Val66Met polymorphism or between familial risk and the Val66Met polymorphism did not predict illness onset.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address: maj.vinberg@regionh.dk.
authors.forename: Maj
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vinberg
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address: kamilla.miskowiak@regionh.dk.
authors.forename: Kamilla
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miskowiak
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address: lars.vedel.kessing@regionh.dk.
authors.forename: Lars Vedel
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Kessing
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D004200:Diseases in Twins / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012307:Risk Factors; D014429:Twins, Dizygotic / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
keywords: BDNF; Familiar risk; Mood disorders; Risk factors; The BDNF Val66Met polymorphism